When a parent is a covert abuser, how does it affect their children? What protections exist under California law, and what can we do to help? For answers to these questions and an in-depth discussion about the impacts of coercive control and covert abuse on children, watch this video presentation from Ruth Darlene and Rachel McKenzie at the Santa Clara County Domestic Violence Conference.

Knowing these warning signs can save your life! 🚩 Ruth Darlene, Founder and Executive Director of WomenSV, explains the escalation process of domestic abuse using the Pathway to Violence, a framework describing the warning signs that lead up to targeted attacks. Recognizing these red flags and detecting danger early on can help keep you safe and empowered with knowledge to protect yourself.

Figuring out how to survive coercive control and escape an abusive relationship can feel overwhelming, but it's important to remember that finding freedom is possible. Ruth Darlene, Founder and Executive Director of WomenSV describes the process of escaping domestic abuse as steps on the pathway to freedom. Finding the pathway to freedom involves learning to recognize the cycle of violence, also known as the cycle of abuse, and carefully planning a safe escape. In this video, Ruth Darlene explains each step along the pathway to freedom along with success strategies that have helped survivors break free and move forward with their lives.

After escaping an abusive relationship, you might be wondering how to recover and heal. Especially if you've experienced emotional abuse and coercive control, it can take a long time to recover, but it's important to remember that healing is possible. Watch this video to learn what you need to know about healing from an emotionally abusive relationship. Ruth Darlene, Founder and Executive Director of WomenSV, explains the three stages of the recovery process that survivors encounter on their healing journey. Wherever you are in your own healing journey, please remember that you're not alone, and there is always hope for a better future.

Wondering how to heal from emotional abuse and coercive control? Start with these self-care tips from Ruth Darlene, Founder and Executive Director of WomenSV.

If you've experienced coercive control, your personal boundaries have most likely been disrespected, disregarded and violated. After escaping a controlling relationship, reclaiming your personal boundaries is an important part of taking your power back. In this video, WomenSV Executive Director Ruth Darlene shares boundary setting tips to empower coercive control survivors.

In this video Ruth Darlene, WomenSV Founder and Executive Director, debunks 8 common misconceptions about coercive control and domestic violence.

I’m Ruth Darlene, Founder and Executive Director of WomenSV, a nonprofit organization dedicated to education and awareness around covert abuse and coercive control. Let’s talk about how covert abusers weaponize mental health.

Covert abuse and coercive control are more than just emotionally harmful forms of domestic abuse - they are lethality risks. Ruth Darlene Patrick, Founder and Executive Director of WomenSV, is working to strengthen domestic violence prevention through education and awareness.

Learn to identify, document, and respond to covert abuse and coercive control: Get covert abuse and coercive control training online. Join the online workshop for survivors, advocates, and service providers.